Absolve
by Amiable Hamburglar
Summary: Pacifica's cover has been blown. The popular girl image that she'd worked so hard to be has faded. On top of that, her parents have vanished. So when the Pines offer her their hospitality, the obvious choice is to stay with them, and try to make things right again, while finding her mom and dad. But when a certain Dorito dream demon gets involved... yikes.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hiya, everyone! :) I am Amiable Hamburglar with... A FANFIC! *heavy metal guitar solo plays* *fireworks explode* WOO! Enjoy! :D**

* * *

_ ab•solve (v.): set or declare (someone) free from blame, guilt, or responsibility._

When Mabel opened the door, the last person she expected to see was Pacifica.

Duck-Tective would've been more likely to visit the Mystery Shack than Pacifica. Or maybe another cute vampire. Yet, there she was, standing on the splintery doorstep while rain poured outside.

"Uh, hi," Pacifica stammered, wiping away at her streaked mascara. "Do you mind if I come in? I just need someone to talk to-"

"Pacifica," Mabel started, looking Pacifica over. She looked like she hadn't slept for a while, and her hair was matted down from all the rain. Her makeup was smeared, too, but Mabel had a feeling that wasn't entirely because of the rain. She looked nothing like the girl who had played mini-golf with her last week. "I-I-of course you can come in, Pacifica. Come in, wait here. I'll go get you some blankets..."

Mabel rushed into the living room, where Grunkle Stan and Dipper were watching re-runs of Tiger Fist. An infomercial for Owl Trowel was currently on screen, and neither of them seemed particularly interested in it."Grunkle Stan, where are the blankets?" Mabel paused for a moment before adding, "We have a visitor."

"In the closet. The one next to your bedroom," Stan answered. "But Mabel, if the 'visitor' is a tax collector, do me a favor and leave him outside."

"It's not a tax collector, Grunkle Stan."

"Government agent?"

"No." Mabel dropped her voice to a whisper as she said, "It's Pacifica. She needs help. Like, really really badly."

Stan and Dipper glanced at each other nervously before Mabel darted up the stairs to get the blankets.

"Kid, your sister is too nice for her own good."

"Grunkle Stan, I've lived with Mabel for twelve years now. Don't you think I'm used to this?"

Their conversation stopped as Mabel and Pacifica entered the room. Pacifica wrapped the mismatched blankets around herself, obviously uncomfortable with being in the same room as the people she'd insulted in the past. Pacifica bit her lip as a thought crossed her mind. What if they kicked her out again for everything she'd done to them?

"Pacifica, sit down," Mabel told her as she took a seat on the carpet. "What's been going on?"

Pacifica opened her mouth to say something, but Dipper interrupted her. "Look, I know you don't like us very much, Pacifica, but if there's one thing that you should know about the Pines, it's that we like to help people. No matter what they've done to us in the past."

"Kid's got a point," Stan noted, hitting the mute button on the TV remote. "Unless you were working for the government."

"T-thanks," Pacifica murmured, almost inaudible. "And I don't hate you guys. I know I've been a brat in the past... Okay, more than 'in the past', but I just need some help."

Mabel laid a hand on Pacifica's back, giving her a friendly pat. "We won't tell anyone, Pacifica. You can trust us. Just tell us what's been going on, and we'll try to help you, alright?"

"Okay," Pacifica took a shaky breath in. "Remember how those little golf-ball guys used my phone to text all my friends that they're lame and stuff? Well, everyone finally started to stand up to me, after that. They were just so-" Pacifica made a little crying noise. "-mean to me. I mean, I deserved it, I did the exact same thing to them. But I didn't realize how mean I really was to them..."

Stan took a deep breath. "Look, Pacifica, how about we call your parents. Let them know you're here and-"

Pacifica froze. "No," she shouted, stopping Stan in his tracks. "You wouldn't be able to. They're-"

_Gone? Missing? Kidnapped?_

"They found out about the texts..." Pacifica lied. "They're mad at me... That's why I came here. I thought you might be able to-"

Suddenly, Mabel wrapped Pacifica into a hug. "Don't worry, Pacifica. You still have me and Dippingsauce. And you can stay here as long as you want, right, Grunkle Stan?"

Stan raised an eyebrow at Mabel, as if asking her to confirm. He knew what Pacifica had done to Mabel in the past, and now, she was offering Pacifica her hospitality? Mabel gave a firm nod in response.

"Yeah, sure, Pacifica. You can stay," Stan said.

Pacifica looked up. She wasn't crying, although she was very teary-eyed. "You'd do that for me?"

"Yeah, yeah. Old Stan Pines is a nice guy now, whatever."

"Let's go upstairs," Mabel suggested, turning to Pacifica. "You can take a nice shower, and we can see which of my pajamas fit you. You can choose one of my stuffed animals to sleep with, too. Ooh! And you can sleep in my bed, and I'll sleep in Dipper's. Dippingsauce can just sleep in Soo's room tonight, or outside. He almost got rabies when he slept outside last time, though! Oh, man, good times. I have to tell you that story-"

Mabel's voice travelled upstairs as Pacifica trailed behind her. Dipper leaned back on the couch once they were out of earshot, exhausted from everything that had happened in the past few minutes.

"You scared about having a girl in the house, kid?" Grunkle Stan joked, looking at Dipper's troubled expression.

"No... I'm just worried about getting rabies again."

* * *

"Why does Llama have a llama as her symbol?" Bill asked himself angrily. It's been weeks and he still hasn't found anything for what appeared to be Shooting Star's new best friend. He glanced downwards, where he could see Pacifica and Mabel laughing as they played some pre-teen board game. Pacifica definitely wasn't the type to have a common farm animal as a symbol.

"Laugh now, Shooting Star. Same for you, Llama. The alpaca-laypse, grr, APOCALYPSE is among us. Crap. I need to work on that."

* * *

**A/N: So... not bad..? cx Hopefully? Anyways, review, er, and rawr and stuff! And go to Burger King because theIR CHICKEN FRIES ARE BACK AND OMG. ****Stay cool!**

**Love,**

**Amiable Hanburglar**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: DANG! I fall asleep for a couple hours and I wake up to 6 reviews already? You guys ROCK! :D Here's another chappie of Absolve for y'all. Love you guys. :***

* * *

Pacifica picked up the plastic pink phone as a robotic voice said, "I love you, why won't you let me into your life?"

"You know what you did, Kevin!" she playfully yelled into the other end of the phone, much to her and Mabel's amusement. "Okay, this game is the best board game I've ever played."

"Trust me, it only gets better from here," Mabel giggled. "I still can't believe you've never played a board game before. I thought you rich people would be all over this stuff."

"I just had no one to play with," Pacifica admitted, her gaze lowering to the cheaply-made game board with all the pink and purple hearts. "Mom and Dad were always too busy with work. And the house servants were always too busy pleasing Mom and Dad to play with me."

"Well, at least now you do," Mabel smiled at the blonde.

"Yeah," Pacifica agreed. "Thank you so much again. For letting me stay with you, and these pajamas."

Pacifica gestured to her lilac nightgown, which had a lopsided game card stitched on the front. Mabel had outgrew it, but it was the perfect fit for Pacifica.

"I wish I'd brought some stuff over. I didn't mean to trouble you with clothes and toothpaste and stuff-"

"Don't worry, Pacifica. Stan was more than happy to give you that extra toothbrush. And I'm even happier to share my clothes with you." Mabel gave her a brace-filled smile before looking at the wall clock. "Wow! It's already midnight! I guess you should sleep, you had a long day. We can pick up Calling All Boys: Preteen Edition tomorrow."

"Alright," Pacifica responded, defeated. The last thing she wanted to do right now was sleep, but she knew she needed it. "And you're okay with me sleeping in your bed?"

"Positive. Dipper loves the woods."

A high-pitched scream coming from outdoors paused the conversation. "Okay, maybe not so much," Mabel confessed. "But he'll be okay. He still has Soos' room."

Pacifica got inside Mabel's bed, burying herself under the pink blankets. She hugged the purple rhino, Mr. Rhino, Mabel had given her, and held it close to her heart as she prepared herself to fall asleep.

"Night, Pacifica," Mabel tiredly spoke as she turned out the light, casting the wooden room into darkness.

Pacifica would've wished Mabel goodnight too, but sleep hit her like a bolt of lightning, and she fell fast asleep.

* * *

There were yellow triangles. Yellow triangles everywhere. That was the first thing Pacifica noticed in her dream.

A black cube. Yellow triangles on all the walls. No exit. And she was trapped inside.

"Well, well," an eerie voice called out, "if it isn't Llama."

Pacifica turned around in a circle, trying to find the source of the voice. She recognized the voice from somewhere...

"I'm not going to be a cliché," Pacifica started, taking a deep breath, "but where are you? Who are you? Why are you calling me Llama?"

"Yeesh, so many questions." A yellow triangle moved forward from the wall and into the cubicle. Pacifica gulped and moved back, eventually leaning up against another wall. "With a personality like yours, you're pretty much a cliché. AHAHA! But seriously, you're gonna need to work on that."

"H-hey!" Pacifica stammered nervously. "Listen up! If you don't reveal yourself my dad's going to-"

"Last time I checked, your parents went missing." That's when Bill decided to reveal himself. A giant eye opened in the middle of the floating triangle, as his Mr. Peanut-like arms and legs emerged. "Ah, Pacifica Northwest. You've gotten taller since I last saw you!"

Pacifica looked at the figure hovering in front of her. He had a bowtie and a top hat. He didn't seem the least bit terrifying. But his voice...

"I know you?" she asked.

"Pssh. 'I know you?' That's all you can say?" Bill shook his head. "Honestly, you don't remember me? Bill Cipher? Full-time dream demon?Part-time barista at StarDollars? AHAHA! I'm kidding about that last part."

"Dream demon?" Pacifica repeated, not believing it. Then, she let out a half-hearted laugh. "Wow, I must be really tired."

Bill seemed to falter. "You don't believe I'm a dream demon?"

Pacifica shook her head. "If you were actually a dream demon, I would've made you hotter. You're too isosceles to be sexy."

"Oh, really?" Bill asked, smirking (although Pacifica couldn't see it, after all, he was only a triangle). "We'll see about that... ah! Here we go!" Suddenly, he snapped his fingers and a burst of light blue light flooded the cube.

Pacifica squeezed her eyes shut, using her arm to shield her from the ominous blue light. At that moment, she was open to the idea of Bill being a dream demon, although she didn't want to believe it.

But after Bill turned into a human (not to mention a really attractive one), she believed him.

When the blue light faded, Bill revealed his human form to Pacifica. His bright yellow hair was in what could only be described as "neat disorder", while his left eye was covered by an eyepatch. He was wearing a faded yellow suit with black buttons, which made him look slightly older than he actually was.

"Ugh, I hate this version of me," Bill hissed, pulling at his coat. "Humans are so... difficult."

"Wow, you weren't lying," Pacifica noted, giving Bill the up-down. "Congratulations, you successfully exceeded my pre-teen opposite-sex expectations."

Bill raised an eyebrow at Pacifica. No one ever talked to him this casually. "Enough chit-chat. I just want to get my business done." Bill snapped his fingers as another flash of blue appeared (this one was quicker than the other one, Bill just wanted to be dramatic), changing him back into a triangle.

"First condition of business," Pacifica stated, "change back into your human form. Then, we'll talk."

Bill rolled his eyes as he prepared to snap his fingers. "You pre-teen girls and your uncontrollable hormones..."

* * *

**A/N: Oh, Bill, you have no idea. (￣▽￣****) Thank you so much again for everything so far you guys! I love you! :***

**Love,**

**Amiable Hamburglar**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Oh my gosh, I'm so angry at myself rn. I DELETED THIS ENTIRE FREAKING CHAPTER BY ACCIDENT BEFORE AND NOW I HAVE TO WRITE IT ALL OVER AGAIN GRRRRRRRR but here it is. Hopefully this won't get deleted... AHHHH RAGEEEE D:**

* * *

"Alright, I'm in my human form right now. Now can we talk?" Bill asked, sighing.

"Yeah," Pacifica answered, still looking at Bill. "We can."

Bill took a deep breath. He knew that Pacifica would need a lot more persuasion than the typical human. But he was ready. "Alright, Llama-"

"Oh, one more thing," Pacifica interrupted. "Call me Pacifica. Please."

"But of course," Bill seethed. Suddenly, he remembered that he had to make a deal, and composed himself. Demons didn't make deals with a bad attitude, now, did they? "Alright, Pacifica. Here's the deal. I've been needing something that you have. And if you give me what I want, I can give you back your parents."

Pacifica raised an eyebrow at Bill. "'And if you give me what I want'?"

"Relax, kid, I'm not gonna ask for your first-born child or your soul or anything like that. In fact, it doesn't have anything to do with you."

Pacifica searched Bill for any sign that he was lying, but there wasn't any. He may have been actually telling the truth.

"Wait," a thought crossed Pacifica's mind that made her pause. "How did you know that my parents were missing in the first place?"

Bill shrugged. "It may or may not have something to do with the fact that I'm a dream demon. But that's none of my business."

Pacifica bit her lip. "So, you know where they are?"

"Yep."

"A-are you gonna tell me?" Pacifica asked, slightly scared of his answer.

Suddenly, Bill threw his head back and broke out in a hysterical fit of laughter that gave Pacifica goosebumps. "AHAHA! You seriously think that I'm just gonna give you your parents, just like that! Have you ever met a demon before? They don't give freebies, you know."

"Well, what do you want?" Pacifica questioned, becoming a little more irritated at Bill.

A static-y noise filled Pacifica's head. Bill's mouth was moving, but no voice was coming out. Everything was fuzzy, like bad radio reception. "I'm waking up," she thought out loud. "At least, I think I'm waking up."

Bill suddenly got very frigid. "No! You can't wake up! I didn't even tell you what I wanted! I can't come back-"

And then it was morning.

* * *

Pacifica rolled over to the left in Mabel's bed, still holding Mr. Rhino. "Ugh," she groaned. "That dream was weird."

She propped herself up with her arms, surveying the room. After all the events last night, she didn't really have a chance to really look at the room.

The first thing she noticed was the triangle shaped window, where pale sunbeams came into the room. Pacifica gritted her teeth, remembering Bill. "Stupid isosceles dream demon."

Other than that, the room was pretty basic. Wooden walls and floors, different mold spots on the ceiling, and everything else seemed normal for an attic.

"SURPRISE!" a loud shout jolted Pacifica awake. She knew the source of the voice was only Mabel, but it startled her all the same. Pacifica turned her head to see Mabel, holding out a tray with food on it.

"You scared me," Pacifica noted, as if that wasn't already obvious.

Mabel gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry... but, hey!" She gestured to the tray. "Breakfast in bed! I hope you're not allergic to eggs, I made you an omelet shaped like your face."

"No, I'm not allergic." Pacifica looked down at the omelet, noting, "It actually does look like my face!"

"Stan said the exact same thing!" Mabel noted, placing the tray down next to Pacifica. As soon as the tray was on her bed, Pacifica immediately started to cut the omelet, remembering how hungry she was.

There was a few moments of silence before Mabel mentioned, "There was something else I needed to tell you."

Pacifica finished chewing before saying, "What was it?"

"We were going to go down to the arcade today," Mabel explained. "I wanted to know if you'd like to join us. I mean, I didn't know if you even liked video games, so-"

"Are you kidding?" Pacifica interrupted, enthusiastically. "I LOVE video games!"

Mabel was very much surprised at this. "Really? You like Fight Fighters and NORT and-?"

"ALL OF THEM!" Pacifica threw her hands up in the air for dramatic effect.

Mabel grinned. "Well, then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Pacifica jumped out of bed, putting on a sweater and skirt set that Mabel lent her. This was going to be the best day ever.

* * *

The car ride was full of anxious excitement for Pacifica. Some of her best childhood memories came from the arcade. Her father would always take her there. At least, before he got that business deal.

The world was not a kind place for Pacifica Northwest.

But the arcade was.

Stan Pines drove his retro red car into a handicapped parking space, knocking over the sign in the process.

"Grunkle Stan, are you even considered handicapped in the state of Oregon?" Dipper questioned as they got out of the car.

"I'm elderly. They'll make an exception, Dipper."

Pacifica smiled at the sight of the old arcade. Not much has changed about it. The old wooden sign was still hanging up on the front of the building, and from the looks of the front window, most of the same games were there.

"You excited?" Mabel asked Pacifica in a singsong voice, giving her playful punches on the arm. "'Cuz I'm excited!"

"I never knew that you liked to play video games," Dipper joined in on their conversation. "You never seemed like the type to me."

Pacifica nodded. "I stopped playing for a long time, since none of my so-called 'friends' wanted to join me. But I bet that I can still kick your butt at Fight Fighters."

Dipper smiled as Mabel "OH-ed" behind him. "You seriously think you can? Alright, then. But don't say I didn't warn you."

As soon as Dipper, Mabel, and Pacifica went into the arcade, they bolted straight to the back, where Fight Fighters was. Mabel watched with excitement as Dipper and Pacifica both inserted their quarters to play.

"CHOOSE YOUR CHARACTER!" the game shouted.

"I call Rumble McSkirmish!" Dipper and Pacifica both shouted at the same time.

Pacifica turned the slightest shade of pink before saying, "You can have him, it's alright. I like Dr. Karate."

"Alright then."

The pixelated animation showed a poorly-made airplane flying to Japan before a small cutscenes started.

"Ugh, why do they have to have cutscenes in multiplayer games?" Pacifica asked, leaning on the arcade cabinet. "It's just a delay on me winning."

Dipper smiled. "You take that back!" he yelled, trying to make himself sound like Rumble McSkirmish. "Hehe..."

The "Start Fight!" screen popped up, putting a halt to the conversation. Pacifica wrapped her hand around the joystick and the other prepared to hit the buttons. She was ready to win this.

"And... FIGHT!"

Pacifica got the first hit. She made Dr. Karate do a quick upper-cut, which wasn't very much damage, but it still got her somewhat bragging rights. "I hit first! Woo!"

Dipper smiled again. He wasn't aware of how much he was smiling, but he couldn't help himself. This new Pacifica was one of the coolest people he'd ever met. Of course, maybe he was exaggerating a bit, this WAS their first interaction with her new self. Yet...

"BOOM!" Pacifica shouted, throwing her hands up in the air as Rumble McSkirmish fell to the ground. "I win!" She turned to Mabel, offering a double-high-five, which she accepted.

Dipper looked at the screen in shock. No one had ever beaten him in Fight Fighters before. Except maybe Rumble McSkirmish... but that was beside the point.

"What? That's not fair, man. I wasn't even paying attention!"

Pacifica turned away from Mabel, looking at Dipper. A quirky smile came up on her face before saying, "You snooze, you lose!"

Dipper had no choice but to smile back. She did have a point.

Suddenly, the smell of cologne and hormones filled the air. Dipper stiffened.

Robbie.

He walked into the back corner, even more emotional than usual. His black hair was even longer, and his eyeliner got thicker. Dipper bit his lip. Without Wendy here, Robbie would take the chance to practically KILL him. And he did. Somewhat.

When Robbie saw Dipper, his gaze hardened. "Well, if it isn't Dipper. How's that whole Wendy thing going for you?"

"Great, actually," Dipper smirked. "Wendy and I are best friends, and I'm over her. In a romantic way."

Robbie rolled his eyes. "Yeah, like that's possible for you."

Pacifica couldn't stand there and watch Dipper being insulted like that. She stood next to Dipper and said, "Actually, it is. Dipper already has a new girlfriend." She nudged Dipper ever so slightly, letting him know her plan.

"Oh, really? Who?"

"Right there," Dipper wrapped his arm around Pacifica, bringing her in for somewhat of a hug. "Pacifica is my new girlfriend."

Pacifica maintained her cool. This was exactly what she was expecting. Until Robbie started to target her.

"Wow, Pacifica Northwest." Robbie shifted his gaze from Dipper to Pacifica. "I would've never guessed. Especially after what happened to your parents." The words stung Pacifica like knives. "I wonder how they're doing right now? Maybe tortured, starved, _dead_..."

"Robbie, shut up," Dipper snapped, bringing Pacifica closer to him. "You're getting her upset."

"No crap, Sherlock," Robbie rolled his eyes again. "That's pretty much the point."

That's when Mabel decided to speak up. "Hey, leave Dipper and Pacifica alone, you jerk!" She walked over to Robbie and kicked him in the ankle, which really didn't do much damage to him.

Robbie let out a small laugh as he ruffled Mabel's hair. "This one I can stand. She's adorable."

Dipper got really mad, then. "Get off my sister!"

Mabel continued to kick Robbie's ankle, unaware that it wasn't doing anything. "Yeah! Get off me!"

Robbie put two hands up, as if he were surrendering. "Fine, fine." He looked down at Mabel. "You can stop kicking me now."

"NEVER!"

Robbie looked at Dipper. "Like I said, adorable."

"Don't you dare call my sister adorable after what you said to Pacifica," Dipper shouted, not loud enough to get attention, but just enough to make a statement. "Just leave us alone."

"'Just leave us alone!'" Robbie mimicked Dipper. He laughed a little bit before saying, "Alright, alright. I'll go. See you losers around." Then, they waited until he walked out the door, hormones and all.

"Robbie's such a jerk," Mabel hissed, crossing her arms.

"I know, right," Dipper agreed, turning around to face Pacifica. He let out a small gasp as he saw Pacifica crying, curled up in a little ball on the ground. He didn't realize how upset she was. He rushed over to her, giving her the biggest hug he could muster.

Pacifica turned her head to the side, just enough so Dipper could see her face. Her tears flowed down her cheeks like waterfalls. "I-I wanna go h-home..."

"We're going home, don't worry," he reassured Pacifica. "Mabel, go tell Grunkle Stan we need to go back. Pacifica's really upset... I'll take care of her, don't worry about her. GO!"

And what was supposed to be the best day ever, turned into the worst.

* * *

**A/N: Yikes, that might've been more upsetting than I meant for it to be. BUT to brighten things up, I got an AMAZING suggestion from a reviewer that I should do a code that the end of each chapter for readers to enjoy! So, thank you, A Random Guest! :D**

**In fact, while we're on the subject, thanks for ALL the reviews! I LOVE hearing what you guys have to say! And 12 reviews for 2 chapters?!  
WOWWWWWWW! ILYSM GUYS! :***

**Here's this chapter's code! HINT: I had a Caesar salad yesterday. (true story bro)**

**QUAW WLPH RQ DEVROYH: JUHDVB'V GLQHU PDNHV DQ DSSHDUDQFH!**

**Love y'all,**

**Amiable Hamburglar**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Gosh diddly darn it. I cannot believe how amazing you guys are. In ONE DAY, I get over 400 views and 13 new reviews. AND yesterday morning, I woke up to find that Absolve got 1000 views. WHAT?! *dying whale noises***

**IN CASE NO ONE TOLD YOU YET TODAY, YOU GUYS ARE PERFECT. PERFECT, I TELL YOU. PERFECT.**

**Here's a new chapter, and (spoiler alert, jk not really) it'll be a whole lot less depressing. cx**

* * *

Pacifica had calmed down significantly since the events of the arcade. Now, she was lying on the couch with Mabel, watching reruns of Tiger Fist.

"So, what exactly is this show supposed to be about?" Pacifica asked.

Mabel paused for a second before shrugging. "I don't know. The tiger always punches itself in the face before it can get to the actual episode."

Dipper walked in, his hands in his pockets. He decided to give Pacifica some space after everything that had happened, but she seemed alright now. "Hey, Pacifica. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright," Pacifica answered, twisting her finger on the end of the light blue sweater, trying to avoid eye contact. Ever since she pretended to be Dipper's girlfriend, she felt weird and awkward with the smallest thought of him. Was that the wrong thing to do? Should she just have stuck up for him like he did for her?

There was an awkward silence between the two before Pacifica said, "Thanks for sticking up for me back there. I know I'm not your favorite person to be around, and you're not really my type either, but-" Pacifica blushed. She didn't mean for that to come across as mean as it did. "I don't mean that, it's just-"

"I get what you mean," Dipper nodded. "It's fine."

Mabel looked back and forth between Dipper and Pacifica. Their conversation was too awkward. Something seemed off...

Of course, Mabel had to start a third-person conversation in her head before she put her plan into action.

_"Why are they acting so weird, Mabel?"_

_"Maybe because they like each other, Mabel."_

_"You should probably set them up on a date, Mabel."_

_"Fantastic idea, Mabel!"_

_"Thanks, Mabel."_

"Why are you ackin' so cray cray?" Mabel finally asked the two of them.

They both turned to Mabel with confused expressions at the same time. "Huh?"

"You guys seem so-" Mabel made a weird face and twitched her arms for emphasis. "-awkward."

"I'll talk to you about it later, Mabel," Dipper stated. He turned back to Pacifica and added, "It's nothing about you, it's Robbie."

"It's fine," Pacifica murmured. She knew it would be about her, though. Whenever someone said that to her, she knew they were lying. And even then, if it was about Robbie, why couldn't he just say it here?

"No, that's not it, Dippingsauce," Mabel threw her twin's thought away like an old tissue. "Perhaps you two should go... get to know each other better!"

Pacifica raised an eyebrow. "You mean, like a... date?"

"Exactly like a date! I-" Mabel's voice trailed off, realizing Dipper and Pacifica weren't as into the idea as she was. And so began another third-person conversation in Mabel's mind.

_"They just need more reinforcement, Mabel."_

_"You read my mind, Mabel!"_

_"Literally!"_

Dipper interrupted her thoughts. "I hate to break it to you, Mabel, but I don't think Pacifica and I are going to be a couple."

"Yeah, I just don't really see myself dating someone like Dipper. No offense."

"None taken."

Mabel stuck out her tongue at the two of them. "You guys are no fun. I really wanted to go to Greasy's Diner, too."

"We can still go to Greasy's Diner," Dipper compromised. "But no dating."

Mabel put on a reassuring smile. "Sure, bro bro."

Yet another third-person conversation, courtesy of Mabel.

_"We're totally hooking them up, right, Mabel?"_

_"Definitely, Mabel."_

_"You're the best, Mabel."_

_"Oh, you."_

* * *

"Well, here we are," Grunkle Stan announced, pulling into yet another handicapped space. He pulled out two twenty-dollar bills and handed them to Dipper. "Have fun, kids."

"Aren't you coming with us?" Dipper asked.

"I still have to come up with a specific excuse to Lazy Susan for my non-specific excuse. That makes sense."

"Bye, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel shouted. As she stood up in her seat to get out of the car, she pulled out a hand-shaped sticker and stuck it on her great-uncle's cheek. Stan pulled off the sticker and held it out in front of him.

"You're very HAND-y," Grunkle Stan read, a questioning tone to his voice.

Mabel let out a small giggle before saying, "You're HAND-ling this very well. Haha!"

Stan gave a small smile to his great-niece as she walked out of the car. He put the sticker back on his cheek as he began to drive back to the Mystery Shack.

"I'm so glad Stan has a HAND-le on these things!" Mabel exclaimed, laughing at her own joke.

"Is your sister going to keep saying bad hand puns all night?" Pacifica whispered to Dipper. Dipper shrugged in response.

When Pacifica walked into Greasy's Diner, she immediately felt welcome. The place was rundown, of course, but the feel of the place was irreplaceable. Her entire life, Pacifica had been showered with fancy restaurants and personal chefs. This was a huge downgrade from what she was used to, yet...

The pine-and-syrup scent was like an aura of pure happiness and the motley group of people sitting at the breakfast bar made Pacifica feel like she fit right in. It made her feel cozy and warm inside.

Perfection.

Of course, all coziness aside, there was nothing that could've prepared her for the beaver running straight towards her foot.

Pacifica let out a huge scream as she noticed the possibly-rabid animal running towards her at full speed. She jumped onto Dipper, clinging onto him for dear life. "Get it away! Oh my gosh, get it away from me!"

Dipper tried to nudge the beaver aside with his foot, but with Pacifica hanging onto him, his movements were kind of limited, and his kicks could only go two centimeters in front of him.

"Haha, Dip," Mabel laughed at how hilarious her brother looked. "Looks like you could use a HAND!" Mabel gestured to her right hand for emphasis before bending down to pet the beaver. The beaver immediately calmed down from the brunette's touch, and then, Mabel carried it out of the diner, using her sweater pouch to hold the beaver. A few seconds later, she returned like nothing happened at all. "That was fun," Mabel grinned.

"You can get off me now, Pacifica," Dipper spoke, struggling to stand up from the weight.

Pacifica hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Pacifica climbed off Dipper, blushing out of embarrassment. "Sorry I jumped on you."

"It's okay, don't worry about it," Dipper said, catching his breath in the process.

Lazy Susan came over to the trio, holding a pile of dirty dishes with one hand. "How may I help you three cuties today?"

"Table for three, please!" Mabel twitted. "And send your cutest waiter!" she added in a whisper.

Lazy Susan chuckled. "Alrighty, we'll do our best. Follow me."

She led them to a booth, handed them their menus, and then left to fulfill Mabel's request. Dipper slid into the seat next to Mabel, but Mabel pushed him back out and suggested, "Why don't you sit next to Pacifica?"

Dipper fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Mabel, I know what you're trying to do, and no."

"Fine, _I'll_ go sit next to her. She'll be more willing to sit next to you."

Mabel ducked under the table and popped up on the other side, next to Pacifica. "Hallo there!"

Pacifica couldn't help but giggle at Mabel's craziness. She couldn't believe how she'd thought it was a bad thing before.

Then, the waiter came over, and he met all of Mabel's expectations. Mabel kicked Pacifica in the shin, letting her know about her latest crush.

"Hello there! Welcome to Greasy's Diner," he said, adjusting the eyepatch on his left eye. "My name is Bill, er, _Billy_, and I'll be your server today."

Pacifica froze. It was obvious who he really was. But the twins didn't seem to notice. How would they? He only appeared in _her_ dream.

But the one thing running through Pacifica's mind was, "So Bill Cipher _is_ real after all."

"Do you need some more time to decide?" he questioned, glancing at all three of them.

"Yeah," Dipper spoke up, flipping through the menu. "I don't know whether to go for the Belgian waffle or the smoked salmon."

"Alright, I'll leave you kids to order," Bill smiled, giving a sly wink to Pacifica as he left.

It took a while for Pacifica to react. "Did you see that guy?" Pacifica whispered nervously to Mabel and Dipper once she found her voice.

"Yeah! I did!" Mabel whispered back. "He was so HAND-some! Get it? Hahahaha!"

* * *

**A/N: Ah, how I love writing about Lazy Susan. She reminds me of my grandma. :D Minus the one-eye part.  
**

**Once again, thank you oh-so much for all the reviews you gave me. I just love you guys. A lot. I keep saying that because it's true. Ilysm.**

**Here is this chapter's code. HINT: "A-B-C... easy as 1-2-3..."**

**2-5-12-7-1-9-14 23-1-6-6-12-5-19 1-18-5 1 7-9-6-20 6-18-15-13 20-8-5 **

**7-15-4-19.**

**Love,**

**Amiable Hamburglar**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Your reviews make me feel so special. :) Thanks so much again for all your support, guys! New chapter! Woo!**

**By the way, just so you all know, I'm going camping with mah friends, so I'm not going to update as much as I'd like this weekend. But anyways, here's a chappie to tide you over until I come back Monday.**

**And since I'm feeling nice, there won't be a *major* cliffhanger. :)**

* * *

Pacifica was hesitant to eat her Caesar salad. One, the dressing was a little too chunky for her liking. And two, Bill had served it, and she was in no mood to be poisoned.

It was one thing for Bill to pop up in her dreams. But now he was stalking her in the real world? That was an entirely different level.

But Dipper and Mabel seemed to be enjoying themselves, and she didn't want to ruin it for them.

"Pacifica, truth or dare?" Mabel asked, snapping Pacifica out of her daze.

"Oh, um, dare," Pacifica answered.

"Uh-oh!" A somewhat creepy smile came onto Mabel's face. "I dare you to kiss Dip-!"

Pacifica heard a loud kick before Mabel quickly spoke, "I mean, I dare you to SIT next to Dipper. Not kiss him. Hehe. That'd be... ow..."

"Do I have to?" Pacifica whined. She cringed at the tone of her voice. "I mean, do I really have to sit next to him? I'd rather sit next to you."

"HAHA! I'm more likable than Dipper!" Mabel announced in a singsong voice before taking a bite of her hamburger. Suddenly, Mabel pulled the sandwich out of her mouth and began to examine it closely. "Huh, this doesn't taste right..."

Pacifica went frigid. How much poison did Bill put in their food anyways? Would it be enough to kill Mabel? Will she ever forgive herself if Mabel began to die?

"Mabel, not all hamburgers use excessive sugar on their patty."

Mabel widened her eyes in disbelief. "They don't? Mom was lying to me this whole time?"

"Huh?" Pacifica questioned, confused.

Dipper turned away from Mabel to answer Pacifica's question. "When we were little, my mom used sugar instead of salt when she was making hamburgers one night. Of course, she didn't realize the mistake until after Mabel ate three whole burgers, and that's kind of how her addiction got started."

"It's not an addiction!" Mabel countered. "It's a lifestyle." Then, she opened three sugar packets and put them onto her hamburger patty, shooting death glares at her twin.

Dipper rolled his eyes and then went back to talking with Pacifica. "So..."

"So..." Pacifica responded, not exactly sure what to talk about. Then, as if by magic, something popped into her mind. "Wanna play the Question Game?"

This question caught Dipper off-guard. "Wha-?"

Pacifica blushed. "I don't know, it's just something I used to do when I met new people. We played this game where you'd ask a question, the other player would answer and then ask another question, and it goes on and on. I kinda figured that I know Mabel better than you, so... I don't know..."

Dipper fought the urge to laugh. The most popular girl in town, wanting to play a game that most kindergarteners would play.

But she wasn't the old Pacifica Northwest anymore. Right?

"Alright, I'll play. Sounds fun," Dipper agreed. Before Pacifica could even start the game though, Dipper turned his attention to his sister. "Mabel, stop eating raw sugar packets!"

Mabel shook her head in response, her mouth full of sweeteners. "No!" she sputtered out, stray sugar flying onto the table. Pacifica cringed and scooted over to the complete other side of the table, so she was right across from Dipper.

"Okay, I'll start," Pacifica told him. "What's your favorite color?"

"Dark blue," Dipper answered. He paused before asking, "Can it be the same question?"

Pacifica shrugged. "I mean, it can be, but it's not as fun. My turn, you used your question already." Pacifica smirked as Dipper opened his mouth to protest, but closed it. She got him there. "Favorite book?"

Dipper paused, wondering if he should tell Pacifica about the journal, then decided against it. After all, they were playing this game to get to know each other better. Maybe after...

"I like mysteries," he finally answered, patting himself on the back for a great legitimate answer. "Do you have a favorite animal?"

"I have a golden retriever, but I'm more of a cat person. I would totally get one if I wasn't allergic. What's your favorite movie on Gravity Falls TV Bargain Movie Showcase?"

"Honestly, 'Nearly Almost Dead But Not Quite'. It brings back good memories," Dipper answered. "Do you ever regret anything? It doesn't have to be a big regret."

"Yeah," Pacifica admitted. "I regret being a jerk to you and Mabel all this time." Pacifica silently cursed herself for being so open. When did Dipper suddenly become Pacifica Northwest's Vault for Personal Feelings? "Oh, yeah, question. Um, do you like me?"

Dipper and Pacifica both blushed. "Not like, _like like_," Pacifica rushed through an explanation. "I mean, like as a person."

"To be perfectly honest," Dipper began, his face cooling down a bit, "I didn't really like you at first. You know, beach-blonde-valley-girl-stereotype and all. But I like the new you much better."

Pacifica fought to keep the blush off her face. She began to eat her salad, not caring at the moment if it was poisoned or not. She needed something to distract herself from this... weird feeling inside of her.

"T-thanks," Pacifica stuttered, shoveling another forkful of salad into her mouth to avoid any other awkward conversation.

Bill came over and neutralized the conversation. "Everything okay here?"

Pacifica immediately became even more stressed at the sight of the dream demon. She gave a stiff nod to him before taking another bite of the salad, avoiding as much conversation as possible.

"Everything's good," Dipper said.

Bill eyed Mabel behind Pacifica, who had finished her burger and begun eating sugar packets. Bill raised an eyebrow. "Is Shooting Star going to be alright?"

"Yeah, she does this all the time." Suddenly, Dipper stiffened. "Wait a minute. What did you call her?"

This caught Bill slightly off-guard, but was able to say, "Your sister. That's what I said."

Dipper gave a shy smile. "Oh. I thought you said something else."

"Happens to the best of us, kid," Bill responded as he walked off.

As soon as Bill was out of earshot, Dipper pulled out the money that Grunkle Stan gave him and left it on the table. "Come on guys, we have to go."

Pacifica swallowed her salad before asking, "Why?"

"I don't trust that guy," Dipper answered, scribbling down a makeshift excuse on a napkin for "Billy", saying that there was a family emergency. "I've seen him before and- he robs people," he added that quick lie at the end.

"Oh." Pacifica knew Dipper was hiding something. Maybe he knew about Bill Cipher, too? Nah, how would she explain _that_ if he didn't? "Come on," Pacifica turned to Mabel, who was hallucinating on sugar.

Mabel groaned, a stray sugar packet falling from her hand. "I don't- ugh, everything hurts."

"Oh, gosh, not this again," Dipper complained. "Here, Pacifica, get out of the booth, I'll carry Mabel outside, and then you can call Grunkle Stan to pick us up."

Pacifica did as she was told and Dipper picked up his twin sister, carrying her in his arms. Mabel made weird noises as Dipper and Pacifica wandered along aimlessly in the parking lot, waiting for Grunkle Stan.

"He said he'd be here in a few minutes," Pacifica complained. "What's taking him so long?"

Dipper shifted Mabel in his arms, trying to stand up. "The car doesn't always start up right away, it's not like your limo."

"But it was working fine before!"

Dipper opened his mouth to argue, but decided that there was no point. After a few more minutes of silence, the two finally saw headlights coming in from the road. "There they are."

"Took them long enough," Pacifica grumbled. "I got like, twenty mosquito bites from waiting."

"Hey, would you rather stay inside and let Bill pickpocket you?"

"..."

"That's what I thought."

The car ride home was accompanied by Mabel's mindless mumbling and Dipper's BABBA CD, which he completely denied was his when Grunkle Stan teased him about it. Pacifica thought it was a pretty nice ending to the worst day in her life.

It wouldn't have been the absolute WORST day in her life, she could admit that. But there was still Bill, and just because of that, it made history as the worst day ever.

Because Bill was after her. And who knows what he would want?

* * *

**A/N: Like I said, not really a cliffhanger. :) I'M EVIL BUT NOT THAT EVIL GUYS. I KNOW THE STRUGGLE OF CLIFFHANGERS.  
**

**Once again, thank you SO much for all your support, reviews, views, and such. I love y'all more than Belgian waffles.**

**Here's this chapter's code. HINT: Go back to where the decoding began...**

**VHH BRX VRRQ! RII WR JUDYLWB IDOOV!**

**Love y'all,**

**Amiable Hamburglar :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: *hysterically sobs* I AM SO SORRY I DIDN'T UPDATE ON MONDAY LIKE I WAS SUPPOSED TO I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH AND I JUST FORGOT AND SCHOOL'S STARTING SOON AND I'M UNDER IMMENSE AMOUNTS OF STRESS AND WAAH. ;^; PLEASE FORGIVE ME**

**-2 hours later-**

**Okay, I've calmed down now. Here's a new chapter, and I'll make it EXTRA long for you guys. :)**

**Once again, SUPER ÜBER SORRY. But hopefully, this update will make up for it.**

* * *

It didn't take long for them to get back to the Mystery Shack. By the time they pulled into the parking lot, Mabel was fast asleep.

"I'll go take Mabel upstairs," Grunkle Stan stated once they were inside, carrying the smaller girl in his arms. "Why don't you guys, I don't know, go watch a movie downstairs or something? I'll take care of Mabel."

"Thanks, Grunkle Stan," Dipper responded. Once Grunkle Stan and Mabel were upstairs, he plopped down on the couch, remote in hand. "So, Pacifica, what do you want to watch?"

Pacifica didn't say anything at first. And when she did, it had nothing to do with the question at hand. "I'm sorry for being so emotional."

Dipper looked at her, tilting his head. "Wha-?"

"I just, haven't been myself. I've spent most of my time here crying, and it hasn't even been two days yet! It's not like me to be like this. And-" Pacifica paused, stomping her foot on the shag carpet. "Crap, I'm doing it again!"

Dipper scratched his arm, unsure of what to say next. Without Mabel playing matchmaker, he had no idea what to say. "It's fine, don't worry about it-"

"It's not fine!" Pacifica began to vent. "My parents are missing! I spent my entire life pretending to be someone I'm not! Why am I breaking so easily? This wasn't part of-" Pacifica sighed. "Look, let's just watch a movie."

"O-okay?" Dipper answered uneasily. He knew Mabel would disapprove of his response, but honestly, he had no idea of how to respond to that. "Just whatever happens, know that I'll be here-"

As Dipper turned on the TV mid-sentence, an ear-splitting shriek emitted from the TV. Pacifica screamed, covering her ears. It was the most horrifying sound she ever heard. It was worse than nails on a chalkboard, or forks scratching porcelain plates.

But Dipper didn't have a reaction to it at all. Well, to the TV, at least. He was staring at Pacifica with fear, eyes wide, his mouth moving rapidly. He was probably asking if she was okay or something like that. Which she obviously wasn't.

"Turn it off!" Pacifica demanded, screaming, tears welling up in her eyes. "Turn it off-!"

Finally, it stopped. Pacifica shakily removed her hands from her ears, beginning to cry.

"What happened?" Dipper asked, jumping down from the couch and rushing to Pacifica's side. He gave her reassuring pats on the back, trying to help her calm down.

Pacifica murmured, "Th-the TV. Didn't y-you hear it?"

"All I was hearing was the Gravity Falls Bargain Movie Showcase lineup."

"T-that's not what I heard! There was- It was-"

Dipper placed his hands on Pacifica's shoulders, silencing her. He opened his mouth to say something extra reassuring, when all of a sudden, Pacifica toppled backwards unexpectedly, Dipper ending up on top of her.

Apparently, Dipper didn't realize that he wasn't supposed to use pressure when touching someone's shoulders. Mabel should've mentioned that in her Mabel's Guide to Dating seminar-quiz-thing.

Grunkle Stan came downstairs hurriedly. "Is everything okay down here?" He looked at the two on the floor, and raised an eyebrow. "Dipper...?"

Dipper's face turned beet red in an instant. He practically leaped off Pacifica, getting rugburn in the process. "Ah, uh, it's not what it looks like!"

"Dipper, I know you're going through that whole puberty phase, but we're going to have to draw the line somewhere."

Dipper turned even redder, if that was even possible. "She just- fell down!"

"Sure, she did," Grunkle Stan rolled his eyes. "Dipper, we're gonna have to have a little talk. Pacifica, you go upstairs. Dipper will come apologize to you in a moment."

Pacifica was too busy trying not to break out laughing to be upset or defend Dipper. Dipper shot her a pleading look, but she just shrugged her shoulders, a small laugh passing her lips.

Pacifica rushed upstairs, trying to keep calm. But once she was upstairs, the laugh she'd been trying to hold in finally let loose. She laughed and laughed, her sides aching and happy tears flowing from her eyes.

She had never laughed so much in her entire life.

Mabel woke up, Pacifica's laughs interrupting her previously peaceful sleep. "W-what's going on? What's so funny?"

Pacifica wiped a tear from her eye, recounting the story as best she could without laughing. At the end, Mabel and Pacifica were both, literally, rolling on the floor laughing.

"HAHA!" Mabel practically screamed. "Oh, man, I wish I'd been able to see that! At least my stomachache is gone now."

Then, there was a knock at the door. Mabel and Pacifica shushed each other, giggling. "Come in!" Pacifica called out, snickering.

Dipper opened the door, his face still completely red. Grunkle Stan stood behind him sternly, but a quirky smile was on his face as well.

"Go on, Dipper," Stan prodded. "Apologize to Pacifica."

"I-I'm sorry I violated your personal space."

"A-and?"

"It won't happen again."

Pacifica let out a snicker before saying, "Okay, I forgive you."

"You're going to pay for this," Dipper whispered under his breath playfully. It was apparent that he had been laughing quite a bit, too.

Grunkle Stan sighed. "All right, everyone back to bed. Dipper, that means you. Pacifica, Mabel, you guys don't have to go to sleep yet if you don't want. Just try to keep it quiet, okay? Old men like me need sleep."

"Goodnight, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel waved goodbye as the two left. "Goodnight, Dipper!"

"Night!" Pacifica called out, even though they were gone by then.

"Do you want to play Attic Stuff Mini-Golf?" Mabel questioned, motioning to two golf clubs leaning up against the wall.

Pacifica smiled. "You bet."

There were no dreams that night. No Bill, either. But not for long.

* * *

The next morning, Grunkle Stan decided to have Mabel take the day off, since she was still kind of queasy from all the sugar. Dipper, however...

"Dude, Stan totally told me everything that happened last night," Soos whispered to Dipper as he began to clean one of the windows. "I remember when I was your age, and girls thought I was the 'cooliest'."

"Help. Me." Dipper begged to the ceiling.

* * *

"Ah, the Mystery Shack," Bill smiled to himself, standing outside the wooden building. "Long time, no see. I'll just borrow the girl for a little bit, and inform her of the deal..."

Bill looked down at his clothes and made a face of disgust. To fit in at Gravity Falls, he had bought tourist shirts and a motley assortment of pants. Right now, he was wearing an XXL size salmon shirt that says "I Love Grandma" and a pair of black skinny jeans that he'd found over at Broken Hearts' house. "Ew," he muttered to himself.

He heard two playful squeals behind him. Bill turned around to see Shooting Star and Golden Llama, playing around on a fallen tree together. He wouldn't have even recognized her if it weren't for her platinum blonde hair.

He smiled to himself.

One step closer to his goal.

One step closer to chaos' reign.

* * *

**A/N: DUN DUN DUN! BILLY'S BACK! Did everyone see that Sock Opera teaser trailer yet? I literally spazzed out when I saw it. BILL IS LOVE, BILL IS LIFE.**

**Well, hopefully, next chapter will come a lot quicker. I promise you though, I'm not one of those people who is going to leave you hanging for like, three years. I will not stop until all my stories are finished. :) Hakuna matata.**

**Here is this chapter's code! HINT: C=B=A**

**EJQDJGJDB GBOT XJMM IBWF UIFJS EBZ. KVTU OPU GPS B XIJMF.**

**Okie! Well, I hope you enjoyed this little chappie of fluff. I can assure you, things will only get more intense from here!**

**Buy gold, bye!**

**Amiable Hamburglar**

**P.S: A reviewer by the name of dukekitty suggested to change Pacifica's cipher name to something with two words. So, I changed it to Golden Llama, because that seems fitting. So thank you, dukekitty! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Coming back to this chapter after two weeks, I'm gonna post a big I'M SORRY here and at the bottom Author's Note, but here's what I had originally written:**

**AHH! SO MANY THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT. 53 REVIEWS! 3,000+ VIEWS! 1000 VISITORS! I LITERALLY CANNOT THANK YOU GUYS ENOUGH. I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU AND AHHHH I LOVE YOU ALL *insert heart emoticons here***

**HERE IS A CHAPTER FOR YOU! LOTS OF STUFF HAVE BEEN GOIN ON WITH SCHOOL, SO I HAVEN'T BEEN AS ACTIVE WITH THIS STORY AS I WOULD'VE LIKED. BUT. I'M HERE NOW.**

**So, sit back, chillax, and ENJOY!**

* * *

Bill walked over to Golden Llama and Shooting Star, silently cursing the fact that he couldn't just hover over there.

The price he had to pay for turning into a lanky human was way too extreme for his liking.

No powers for a week.

"Golden Llama, you'd better accept my deal," Bill thought to himself, gritting his teeth.

Shooting Star's laugh reminded him to focus on what was at stake. He took a deep breath before putting on a huge smile and walking towards the two girls.

_Showtime._

"Excuse me," he called out. The blonde turned her head, meeting Bill's gaze, a questioning look on her face. She almost immediately recognized him and froze. "Do you mind showing me where the Mystery Tours begin?"

Mabel immediately answered him, her braces-filled smile catching him off-guard. "Of course! Follow me, it's right over-"

Bill became panicky. Golden Llama was supposed to be the one to answer him, not Shooting Star.

Pacifica, on the other hand, was more concerned with Mabel than what Bill wanted from her. "N-no, it's okay, Mabes. I'll show him where it is."

Mabel seemed the tiniest bit troubled, but then, she shook it off with a smile. "Alright! Just don't take too long!"

Pacifica looked over at Bill. When he was wearing black skinny jeans with an XXL pink "I Love Grandma" shirt, he wasn't that terrifying. "Come on, it's this way."

Bill walked across the thin layer of grass, Pacifica in front of him. He didn't need his powers to know that she was nervous. Just by the way she walked, with her uneven steps and the way she slowed down at random times. She was scared of him.

He followed Pacifica all the way to the back of the Mystery Shack, where she stopped to talk to him. She turned around; arms crossed, instantly demanding, "What's your problem?"

"You never let me finish my deal," Bill answered matter-of-factly.

"I don't care," Pacifica shot back. "Leave me alone, and stop following me like some creepy stalker."

Bill rolled his eyes. "I'm a dream demon. 'Creepy stalker' is in the job description."

"Well, then, that's stupid."

"Hey, if there's one thing you should know about dream demons, it's that they won't stop to get what they want. Stalking is part of that."

"And what could you possibly want from me?" Pacifica asked, slightly unfolding her arms. She was becoming more nervous by the second.

"The Pines twins," Bill answered. "In exchange for your parents. You give me your new best friends, and I'll give you back your parents."

Pacifica stood there, shocked. "You know where my parents are?"

"I don't have time to play the Question Game," Bill snapped. "I had to give up my powers for a week just to talk to you. Are we going to have a deal or not?"

"Why didn't you just go into my head again and tell me there?"

Bill rolled his eyes again. He hated explaining dream demon rules to people, especially to stubborn preteens. "Dream demons can only enter a person's mind once."

"Oh," Pacifica responded, as if that was obvious all along. But on the inside, she was beyond terrified. Her only friends for her parents? Sure, she missed her parents, but what would that be compared to missing Dipper and Mabel?

"So?" Bill questioned, an eerie smile crossing his face. Blue flames flickered at his fingertips, much to Pacifica's surprise. (Demons could still make deals in human form, you know.) "Do we have a-"

"Wait."

Bill's eye twitched, angered at being interrupted. "WHAT?"

Pacifica repeated her answer again, more confidently this time. "I want my parents back, but you can't just ask me to trade Dipper and Mabel in for them. Plus, there's probably a catch, isn't there?"

Anger boiled inside of Bill. He was going to explode at any moment, and Pacifica was going to face his wrath. Of course, he had a few tricks up his sleeve. But that was just bad demon business if she already knew what was coming.

"Listen," he began to speak, a threatening tone to his voice. Pacifica took a step back. "I have worked way too hard, sacrificed way too much, just to be pushed aside by your ignorant little self."

"It's not my fault that I don't want to make a deal with a demon," Pacifica retorted, her argumentative tone fading with every sentence she spoke.

And five minutes later, that was exactly what she did.

Pacifica had made a deal with the devil.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the Mystery Shack...

Dipper was sitting at the cashier counter, giving change to a little kid buying a Stan bobble-head. The windows were slightly open, letting the quiet sounds of the woods into the gift shop.

Dipper double-checked the correct change in his hands before he handed it back to the girl, who couldn't have been more than six years old. "Twelve dollars is your change."

The little girl smiled up at him, since she was too small to look over the counter. "Thank you!" she shouted gleefully, before rushing off to show her mom her newest trinket.

Since there was no one else in line, Dipper reclined in his chair, taking a few minutes to breathe. Today was even busier than usual, especially since Wendy and Soos were on new attraction duty, and he was the only one there. This was his first break in hours.

Suddenly, two familiar voices came in through the window.

"I have worked way too hard, sacrificed way too much, just to be pushed aside by your ignorant little self."

"It's not my fault that I don't want to make a deal with a demon."

Dipper froze. Thank god none of the tourists heard the voice; they were just chit-chatting among themselves. But Dipper had heard it.

And if he didn't get there soon, Pacifica would be in bigger trouble than she could ever imagine.

* * *

Blue flames wrapped around her wrist, Bill's hand tightening on hers. Pacifica fought to keep the tears away from her face. She knew she had made the wrong decision. But it was too late now...

"I'll uphold my end of the bargain in six days, since that's when I'll get my powers back. And as for you," Bill met the gaze of Pacifica, who was trying her best to keep calm. "You'd better get started now."

The sound of quick footsteps separated their hands. Bill, with one last threatening glare to Pacifica, rushed away from the area, just as Dipper came rushing in.

Dipper wiped a trail of sweat on his forehead, panting as he spoke to Pacifica. "A-are you okay-?"

Pacifica tilted her head, trying to steady her voice at the same time. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just that-" Dipper began, but his voice trailed off, not finishing his sentence. "Never mind."

Pacifica silently thanked her parents for three years of forced theatre lessons before going on with her act. "What is it?"

Dipper felt the journal on the inside of his vest pocket. Should he tell Pacifica about the journal or not?

But he had to warn her about Bill.

What if she just passed off everything as a huge joke?

Maybe she'd believe him.

What were the chances of that?

All of the thoughts hurt Dipper's mind, and it made it harder for him to think logically.

_Alright, Dipper, on the count of three_, he thought to himself. _One..._

_Two..._

_Three..._

"Can you keep a secret, Pacifica?"

* * *

**A/N: I can't say sorry and thank you and so many other stuff enough to you. I am just so upset that I didn't update sooner, because looking back, I realize how much you guys wanted the next chapter (same for my new Bipper story) and I just feel really bad about it. :/**

***virtually hugs***

**I'M SORRY BBYS**

**On a much higher note, I am halfway done with the next chapter, so next update will come next week. AND IF I DON'T DO IT I GIVE YOU ALL PERMISSION TO START A RIOT WITH VIRTUAL PITCHFORKS AND TORCHES AND STUFF**

**No code this chapter... (I just wanna get it out to you ;-;)**

**GOSH I'M LIKE THE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT EVER TODAY I'M SORRY GUYS**

**I STILL LOVE YOU ALL VERY MUCH, AND IF YOU'RE HAVING A ROUGH DAY TODAY, JUST REMEMBER THAT NO ONE CAN DULL YOUR SPARKLE AND THAT I LOVE YOU**

**Yours truly,**

**Amiable Hamburglar**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: HAHA! I MADE IT! Y'ALL CAN'T RIOT NOW! (but most likely, you will be rioting soon.) I WAS REALLY HAPPY TODAY BECAUSE OF THE NEW STEVEN UNIVERSE EPISODE AND EVERYTHING IS GREAT**

**THANK YOU GUYS FOR 61 REVIEWS, AND ALL THE VIEWS, AND JUST BEING AMAZING. :)**

**NOW, ON WITH THE CHAPTER!**

* * *

Pacifica sat down on the carpet in the living room, watching the Gravity Falls Bargain Movie Showcase. She didn't seem to get any reaction from the TV this time, so she left Ghost Turtle on. In the end, Pacifica would've liked the movie more if they put more money into it, she thought, but then again, they didn't call them bargain movies for nothing.

It was the longest wait of Pacifica's life.

Finally, Dipper walked through the doorway, the journal tucked under his right arm. Dipper was feeling pretty hesitant, but a promise was a promise. He took a deep breath, taking a seat next to Pacifica on the couch. As Pacifica turned the TV off, Dipper reminded her, "Remember, don't tell _anyone_ about this."

"Promise." Luckily, Dipper didn't seem to notice the subtle finger-cross on her right hand. She wouldn't know if Bill would ask her about _this_, too.

"Okay." Dipper opened up the journal to the first page, with the torn "Property of:" writing. "When I first came to Gravity Falls, I found this journal hidden in the woods. There's no name in it, but I've been trying to figure out who wrote it."

Pacifica looked at the journal closely. One on hand, it looked like something from the Mystery Shack gift shop. But on the other hand, if it were just a stupid Mystery Shack souvenir, why would Dipper be acting so serious about it?

Dipper, after checking to make sure Pacifica was finished investigating, flipped through a couple of pages until he landed where Bill Cipher was written.

"This was the guy at the diner we saw, but I guess he was in his human form, or something like that."

Pacifica tried her best not to freak out. "You know Bill?" she asked, a weird sort-of calm to her voice.

"Yeah. He kind of broke into my great-uncle's mind..." Dipper confessed. Then, suddenly, a thought crossed his mind that made him freeze. "Wait a second... How do _you_ know Bill?"

It was Pacifica's turn to be frozen. "Uh-" she stuttered. Finally, she slumped down in her seat, defeated. What point would there be in lying? "He may have came into my mind, too."

Dipper found himself oddly intrigued by this, but he was equally horrified. What sort of things did Bill do to her mind? "Pacifica, what happened? Y-you didn't make a deal with him, did you?"

"Of course not!" Pacifica snapped, a little too quickly. "I would never!"

"If you say so..." Dipper shrugged. Then, he handed the book to Pacifica, who accepted it with the tiniest bit of hesitation. "Here, you can look through it for a while. I'm gonna go get Mabel. Maybe we can go see a movie or something."

Pacifica was too stunned to speak. After all that she's done to Dipper, and how mean she was to Mabel, he _trusted_ her?

"I-I-" Pacifica tried to say something, but Dipper was already out the door. Pacifica let out a small, agitated noise as she threw her head back. "Might as well look at it," Pacifica muttered, carefully flipping through the pages. Although some of them seemed pretty idiotic (Butternut Squash with Human Face and Emotions? Wha-?), Pacifica was very intrigued by the whole aspect.

Who _was_ the author, anyhow?

Finally, she found herself on the last page. "Unfortunately, my suspicions have been confirmed, I'm being watched. I must hide this book before _He_ finds it. Remember, in Gravity Falls there is no one you can trust. Trust no one," she read quietly to herself.

This paragraph only fueled Pacifica's frustration. Even the _journal_ was having trust problems! And yet, Dipper _still_ trusted her? _How_?

"Hey, Pack!" Mabel's voice slightly startled Pacifica. "We're gonna go see Pony Heist 2. Wanna come with us?"

Pacifica let the smallest hint of a smile cross her face as she closed the journal. Why not? "Yeah, sure. Let me get my stuff."

"And now that Pacifica knows about the journal, maybe we can do some mystery hunting afterwards!" Dipper added, accepting the journal back from Pacifica. Pacifica couldn't help but blush. Dipper seemed _really_ excited about her joining the investigations.

"I'd love that."

"Great! Then, let's go!" Mabel cheered, running to the front door.

Yet, the last few words of the journal kept repeating itself in Pacifica's mind.

**Trust no one.**

* * *

"How did you guys _not_ like Pony Heist 2? There were even _more_ ponies than the last movie!" Mabel frowned as the three walked out of the theater. When the movie was over, Dipper and Pacifica wanted nothing more than to get out of that theater, especially since half the audience was hyperactive six-year-olds.

Pacifica looked around, breathing in air that _didn't_ smell like popcorn and sweaty preschoolers. They were on the outskirts of the downtown area, with a thick forest nearby. It wasn't too dark out, which meant that they'd still be able to go mystery hunting.

"There were too many little kids in there for me to enjoy it," Dipper complained. He reached a hand up to touch his hair, adding, "And I think someone threw one of their Gummy Koalas in my hair."

"That climax was cinema _gold_, Dipper. Gold," Mabel argued.

Pacifica stayed silent, not wanting to get involved. To be honest, she hadn't exactly been paying much attention to the movie. She was all hyped up for mystery hunting, and the hype lasted the whole movie. Now, all she could think about was going on an adventure with Dipper and Mabel.

Because what if one of the mysteries led her back to her parents?

"Pacifica?" Mabel called out, snapping Pacifica out of her daze. "We're ready to go on our mystery hunt now. Are you sure you want to come?"

"Positive," Pacifica smiled.

"It's going to be dangerous."

"I can handle that."

"Grunkle Stan's not going to be paying for your hospital bills, either."

"I have an emergency fund," Pacifica noted. "I'll be able to afford it."

Mabel began to run towards the fore, a huge grin on her face. "Then, let's go!"

Mabel sped down to the forest, not slowing down for a second. Pacifica and Dipper, although they were both ecstatic as well, didn't go as nearly as fast as Mabel, so they walked together towards the thick pine trees, ready for a new adventure.

* * *

The clock was ticking for Pacifica Northwest.

But she was just taking her time, walking next to an enemy-turned-best-friend, enjoying his company, and following the voice of a shooting star.

All of that would be gone in a matter of days.

And time flies fast when you're having fun.

* * *

**A/N: AHAHAHA! I FEEL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THAT LAST SECTION. c:**

**Anyways, as usual, I REALLY hope you enjoyed this chapter! :) In fact, while we're on the subject of enjoying things, enjoy your whole day! Because you deserve it! :)**

**Here's the long-awaited return of the code! :D**

**HINT: You should always be one step ahead of the game. Just sayin'.**

**UIJT JT TVNNFSXFFO**

**UIJT JT TVNNFSXFFO**

**KBDL-P-NFMPOT TDSFBN**

**JO UIF EFBE PG OJHIU**

**Love y'all,**

**Amiable Hamburglar :)**


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